Jayapal to President Trump on Restricting Refugees: “We Will Not Bend to Your Will. America Is So Much Better Than This.”

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Congresswoman Pramila Jayapal released the following statement in response to President Trump’s executive order restricting the flow of refugees:

“It’s absolutely abhorrent that President Trump has decided to restrict refugees from entering the United States. This executive order does nothing to protect our country and only fuels the fire of Islamophobia. It condones violence and fear, and undermines our values and our history as a nation.

“Refugees are the victims of terror, not the causes of it. It flies in the face of our American ideals to restrict refugees, including millions of women and children, who are fleeing war ravaged countries in search of a new home. At a time when there are historic numbers of refugees in need of resettlement, the United States should be stepping up as a global leader. It is our responsibility to show leadership on refugee resettlement, not to play politics with people’s lives.

“To restrict people from specific Muslim majority countries is morally reprehensible, and puts Muslim Americans here in America who seek to reunite with their families into chaos and fear. The introduction of a religious test for refugees is unprecedented in our history and contrary to the founding ideals of our country. Equally important, this action is counter-productive to our national security. We need to develop relationships with Muslim countries and all people who seek to eradicate terrorism. This simply alienates the very groups we need to have working alongside us.

“I want to send a clear message to President Trump: We will not bend to your will. We will not let you take us backwards. We will not let you break our commitment to the world’s most vulnerable. America is so much better than this and we refuse to be on the wrong side of history.”

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Issues: Immigration